Sometimes football players make it into club history with actions without the ball. Michael Olise manages to do this again and again. A year ago, FC Bayern's offensive star was the first professional to play a game of chess on his smartphone during a championship celebration in Munich City Hall. A few weeks ago he was the first to appear in slippers at a reception hosted by Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder. In 2024, he also gave the most boring press conference ever given by the German record champions: around 100 words in three minutes. And in interviews, Olise has also set records with short answers.
The French international, who will host RB Leipzig with Bayern in the top game of the Bundesliga this Saturday (6.30 p.m., live ticker WELT and Sky), could now become the first player from a German club to win the Ballon d'Or this millennium. It is the most important individual award a footballer can receive. It will be awarded on October 26th. Olise's name often comes up when it comes to favorites.
The French fans have made their choice. “Olise Ballon d’Or!” they recently shouted during their national team’s 4-1 win against Belgium. Olise almost single-handedly ensured the first home win for national coach Zinédine Zidane, an idol of his youth. After coming on as a substitute, he made it 2-1 before scoring two goals himself. Even legend Zidane went into raptures: “It’s simply extraordinary what he does.”
Michael Olise has developed into one of the few superstars in the Bundesliga. With a market value of 180 million, he is the most valuable player in the league. And at the same time it is a mystery to many. It raises special questions: How long can FC Bayern keep him? To what point is a professional athlete authentic and special? And at what point does it become disrespectful and rude? His display of indifference is part of the fascination with Michael Olise.
The younger generation admires him as an oddball; on social media, fans call him "Mr. Nonchalant." Almost twelve million people follow him on Instagram - around 15 times as many as Bayern's national defender Jonathan Tah.
“A player doesn’t have to be liked by everyone”
Lukas Knochel is managing director of the communications agency Bettertrust. The marketing expert deals with the positioning of personalities and talks about it in his podcast “Mark Mensch.” Knochel tells WELT AM SONNTAG: “Michael Olise has become a global phenomenon through his public manner and of course his sporting achievements, which currently makes him one of the most valuable ‘brands’ in football.”
Polarization can be very valuable for a personal brand. "The title 'Mr. Nonchalant' gives Michael Olise a clear profile and attracts attention. A player doesn't have to be liked by everyone to be attractive as a brand. Cristiano Ronaldo is the most prominent example of this," says Knochel.
Where is the line between a strong personal brand and a demeanor that can damage the club brand? "Especially at a club like FC Bayern, a player's public appearance is always associated with the club. What is therefore crucial is how perception develops over a longer period of time."
FC Bayern benefits from the fact that Olise stands out from the masses of football players in more than just sporting terms. The mysterious has become his image - whether intentionally or unintentionally. Crucial point: Olise consistently shows excellent performances on the pitch. These days, Bayern are particularly dependent on his offensive ideas because Jamal Musiala is out injured and Lennart Karl, Serge Gnabry and Luis Diaz are not in top form.
Olise can therefore allow himself to appear extravagant off the pitch. This week, however, it became clear how easy he is to provoke: in the 3-3 away draw against Viking Stavanger in the Champions League, he threw the ball into an opponent's face and received a yellow-red card; his team lost the victory because they were outnumbered. “It’s stupid,” said coach Vincent Kompany. "Michael needs to have a better handle on it. It wasn't a finale. But these moments are crucial in a season."
Some things about Olise sometimes raise eyebrows in the club, but most things cause enthusiasm. “Michael is someone who wants to play football and is relatively unaffected by it,” stated sports director Max Eberl.
Club officials recently met with Olise's agent. The conversation is said to have been very harmonious. Bayern emphasized that they did not want to change the player's character. One just wishes that Olise would show more enthusiasm at sponsor meetings and in team photos.
“He made himself unmistakable through his public appearance,” says PR expert Knochel. "Young people emulate him, model themselves on him and imitate outfits and cheers. That's exactly what makes him extremely valuable as a personal brand. You know exactly what you can expect from him and what you can't." Especially in sports marketing, “partnerships are particularly valuable when fans have a strong bond with a player.”
Knochel also emphasizes: "We often see similar pictures, similar interviews and a highly controlled external image from top players. Those who fall outside of this pattern stand out more and therefore become more interesting. Olise shows that you don't have to be loud, extroverted or constantly present in order to build a strong personal brand. This is precisely where people who are less comfortable with constant self-dramatization can find themselves."
Little is known about Olise's private life. His mother is French of Algerian origin, his father is from Nigeria. Growing up in England, he was able to choose between four national teams. “Bild” reports that he has a daughter with a German-Moroccan woman. According to the report, Olise recognized the almost two-year-old child after a paternity test.
Olise is popular in the team and writes WhatsApp messages to many colleagues. “Michael is great,” says Harry Kane. "He sometimes seems a little different from the outside. He's a great person in the dressing room and works very hard on himself."
FC Bayern paid 53 million euros
At the World Cup last summer, Olise was the tournament's best provider with seven assists. He recently scored his first Bundesliga hat-trick in a 7-0 win against 1. FC Union Berlin; after the fifth matchday he is in second place on the top scorers list with four goals. Across all competitions, he has eight goals and three assists in nine games. He decides games. Zidane sees Olise as a natural leader because of his style of play.
Bayern signed Olise from Crystal Palace in 2024 for around 53 million euros. Max Eberl made one of the best purchases in recent league history. Olise's contract runs until June 30, 2029. Real Madrid are said to be interested in him. The management of FC Bayern wants Olise to have a clear tendency by next summer as to how he wants to decide. The question also depends on his future: What chances does super talent Karl have in the medium term?
Olise is estimated to earn up to 14 million euros per year at Bayern. The people of Munich are reportedly ready to make him one of their top earners. These are Kane and Musiala; They should each receive around 25 million euros per year. The Olise side is said to be in no rush so far. A contract until 2032 is apparently being discussed - that could mean a total volume of more than 120 million euros.
Olise really wants to win the Champions League. He has a very good relationship with coach Kompany, but what matters most to him is the sporting perspective. Superstar Kylian Mbappé would reportedly like to see Olise at Real. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, former club boss and FC Bayern supervisory board member, recently said: “For a player like Olise, there is no price tag that would make us flinch.” His grandchildren wear Olise jerseys.
“Mr. Nonchalant” could cost FC Bayern a lot. But it also brings lots of fans, titles and euros.
